Former President Donald Trump on Thursday defended his attacks on Vice President Kamala Harris even as his top allies begged him to stay on message amid Harris’ surging popularity.
“I think I’m entitled to personal attacks,” Trump said in response to a question that mentioned some of his allies’ uneasiness. “I don’t have a lot of respect for her. I don’t have a lot of respect for her intelligence, and I think she’ll be a terrible president. And I think it’s very important that we win and whether the personal attacks are good, bad — I mean she, certainly attacks me personally, she called me weird.”
Trump’s defense came during a meandering news conference that appeared to be set to focus primarily on the economy. The former president spoke for roughly an hour before beginning to take questions from reporters.
Asked what his message was to Americans struggling with credit card debt, Trump said, “My message to them would be very simple: vote for Trump and we’re going to fix the problem. We’re going to get it fixed. We’ll get it fixed.”
In recent days, former Trump campaign manager Kellyanne Conway and other leading Republicans have urged the former president to focus more on Harris’ policies and past positions over attacks on her intelligence and other areas.
“The winning formula for President Trump is very plain to see,” Conway told Fox Business host Larry Kudlow, who served in Trump’s administration as Director of the National Economic Council. “It’s fewer insults, more insights, and that policy contrast.”
Harris’ campaign seemed almost giddy at the prospect that Trump was holding another news conference. She has not held an extended news conference since becoming the Democratic presidential nominee.
“We aren’t sure what we just watched and neither is America,” the Harris campaign said in a statement. “From his member-only golf club, Donald Trump tried to read some paper for more than 40 minutes, while giving a stream of not-much-consciousness. It was quite boring. Networks cut from his speech (except Fox, he has Dominion over them). Then, he took some questions. It did not get better.”
On Wednesday, during a speech in North Carolina, billed to be about the economy, Trump began by mocking Harris’ laugh.
Earlier this month, Trump questioned whether Harris was truly Black in front of a room of Black journalists, an example of how he has reverted to form in stepping on his message. He also repeatedly attacked Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, even though Kemp has supported him and tried to turn the page from the 2020 election. Polls show that Harris has gained ground as Trump stumbles.
On Thursday, Trump’s campaign announced that Corey Lewandowski, the first of three campaign managers on Trump’s 2016 campaign, would join the 2024 run in some capacity. Asked about whether the announcement signaled a shake-up, Trump said that his approach remains the same.
“I think it’s a sign of we want to close it out,” Trump said.
